System for production of vacuum.



No. 719,772. j PATENTED P3343, 190s.

F. PANTA.

SYSTEM FOR PRODUCTION OF VACUUM.

, APPLIOATION'IILED NOV. 25, 1902.

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P, FANTA. I SYSTEM FOR PRODUCTION OF VACUUM.

, APPLICATION FILED NOV. 25, 1902. no MODEL. 7 2 SHEETS-SHEET z.

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UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFTCE.

FERDINAND FANTA, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

SYSTEM FOR PRODUCTION OF VACUUM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 719,772, dated February3, 1903.

Application filed November 25, 1902- Serial No. 132,819. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FERDINAND FANTA, a subject of theKing of GreatBritain and Ireland, residing at London, England, have inventeda new anduseful'Improved System for the Production of Vacuum, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to the production of as perfect a vacuum as ispracticable for industrial and commercial purposes; and it consists ofan improved system or combination of appliances in which the operationof ex haustion is carried out in distinct stages with simple andspecific mechanical appliances used in such stages, repectively, wherebythe production of a practically perfect vacuum is greatly accelerated.

To carry my system into effect, I proceed in three distinct stages.

The first stage is an exhaustionby any ordinary vacuum mechanical pumpof good construction without any liquid filling of the clearance-spaces,which are simply reduced mechanically to a minimum. The exhaustion mayreadily and quickly be carried out in this way to the extent of a vacuumequal to twenty-nine inches of mercury.

The second stage is the introduction by the continued exhaustion of thefirst set of pumps of a hydrocarbon gas into the bulb or receptacle tobe exhausted, so that any remnants of air are thus mechanicallydisplaced by the artificially-supplied hydrocarbon gas of extremetenuity.

The third stage is now the final exhaustion of the hydrocarbon gas ofextreme tenuity by another set of pumps in which all clearancespaces arefilled with oil or equivalent liquid, which thus deal only withhydrocarbon gas of extreme tenuity and through which air never passes atall. The oil or equivalent filling therefore in these pumps never altersits condition at all as regards becoming an emulsion, the hydrocarbonhaving an affinity for the heavy hydrocarbon oil conveniently used forfilling purposes and the oil being always under a condition of extremevacuum without contact with air or the atmosphere.

Equivalently as the proportion of air left to deal with in the laststage of exhaustion is very minute the second stage of exhaustion can becarried out with some advantage by the use of a distinct oil-packed pumpwhich has not been used for the exhaust of any air without the use ofthe hydrocarbon vapor to entirely displace the air.

Figure 1 is an elevation of two of a considerable series of lamps insets for treatment. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail of the oil seal andcheck-valve therein.

As means for carrying this system into eifect I mount the lamp-bulbs Aor receptacles to be exhausted in sets, making a common connection to afour-way fitting B, threeway cook, or equivalent device, by which theinterior of each set of the bu lbs may be brought in succession intocommunication with the first vacuum pump or pumps H by the main E, thenwith a hydrocarbon-gas supply by a main D from a gas-cylinder K, andfinally with the finishing oil-packed vacuum-pumps L by a. main 0, allsuccessive operations being controlled by a multipleway cook or byindependent cocks b b b. The air on its way to the first mechanicalexhaust-pumps is conveniently passed through an oil seal F in a glasstransparent receptacle, by which the condition of the first stage of theoperation can be watched, the air first bubbling through the oil andthen forming an emulsion, which soon stops, showing that the aircontained in the bulb-has been practically withdrawn to a sufficientdegree to mark the end of the first stage. Upon the admission of thehydrocarbon gas to the bulb by the main D and its passage through theoil seal by the suction of the pump all air is ejected both from thebulb, the passages, and the oil seal, which, is brought back to itsoriginal condition ready for the next withdrawal of air in bulk. I alsoprovide a check-valve G between the oil seal F and the bulb or vessel tobe exset of bulbs adjacent to the, fracture, as shown by arrowsindicating the entry of the air to the oil seals and check-valvestherein.

By this system I can obtain a practically perfect vacuum in from eightto ten minutes on practically any number of bulbs or similar receptaclesto be exhausted, Whereas it has so far not been possible to obtainanythinglike a perfect vacuum with mechanical exhaust-pumps, and,further, the production of even such an indifferent vacuum usuallyrequires an operation of from forty to fortyfive minutes.

Having now described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is

1. In combination a four-way coupling connecting with the vessels to beexhausted, three mains connected to the coupling; means for alternatelyopening or closing said mains, means for preventing pressure-backflowinto the vessels on two of said mains, which are used forexhaust; amechanical exhaust-pump connected to one of said mains; amechanicalexhaust-pump with oil-filled clearances connected to second ofsaid mains; and means for the supply of hydrocarbon gas to the third ofsaid mains.

2. In combination a four-way coupling connecting with the vessels to beexhausted,three mains connected to the coupling; a control ling-cockupon each of said mains; a mechanical exhaust-pump connected to one ofsaid mains; a mechanical exhaust-pump with oilfilled clearances,connected to another of said mains; an oil seal on each of saidexhaustmains; a floating valve in each of said oil seals, adapted toclose admission to said vessels, upon admission of pressure to saidexhaust-mains; and means for the supply of hydrocarbon gas to the thirdof said mains.

3. In combination a four-way coupling connecting with the vessel to beexhausted, three mains connected to the coupling; multiple branches fromeach of said mains connected to other vessels tobe exhausted; amechanical exhaust-pump connected to one of said mains; a mechanicalexhaust-pump with oilfilled clearances connected to another of saidmains; an oil seal on each of the branches of said exhaust-mains; afloating valve in each of said oil seals, adapted to close admission tothe said vessels upon admission of pressure to said exhaust-mains; andmeans for the supply of hydrocarbon gas to the third of said mains andbranches.

4. In combination a plurality of four-way couplings connecting with thevessels to be exhausted, three mains connected by branches to all ofsaid couplings; means for opening or closing said branches of said mainsat will; a mechanical exhaust-pump connected to one of said mains; amechanical exhaust-pump with oil-filled clearances connected to anotherof said mains; oil seals with transparent containers on each of saidbranches from both of said exhaust-mains; a floating valve in each ofsaid oil seals adapted to close admission to the said groups of vesselsupon admission of pressure to said exhaust-mains; and means for thesupply of hydrocarbon gas to the third of said mains.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twowitnesses.

FERDINAND FANTA.

Witnesses:

RICHARD A. HOFFMANN, CHARLES CARTER.

